Several local candidates endorsed by the L.A. Sentinel scored victories in the Nov. 5 election. Below are highlights of the winning races.
Hutt Wins Full Term in L.A. City Council 10th District Seat
Heather Hutt — the incumbent appointed to the L.A. City Council from District 10 after her predecessor, Mark Ridley-Thomas, was convicted on federal corruption charges — was headed for a full four-year term Wednesday, as she held a robust lead in her first time facing voters.
In results as of early Nov. 6, Hutt led challenger Grace Yoo by a 23% margin. Hutt had 32,726 votes, or about 61.7%, while attorney Yoo stood at 20,330 votes, or about 38.3%, according to the L.A. County Registrar- Recorder/County Clerk’s Office.
It was unclear how many ballots remain to be tallied in the district. Mail-in ballots postmarked by election day will also be accepted for up to a week.
The 10th District encompasses the neighborhoods of Arlington Heights, Koreatown, Mid-City, Palms, South Robertson, West Adams and Wilshire Center.
According to a spokesperson for Hutt’s campaign, the councilwoman is “proud of the work” she and her team have done, and she feels “lucky to be part of this process and have her communities trust in her.”
A representative for Yoo’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Voters had an opportunity this election to weigh in on who they believed would best represent them after Ridley-Thomas’ conviction for crimes committed while he was on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. Hutt was appointed by the council last year to fill out Ridley-Thomas’ unexpired term.
With the overwhelming elected victory, Hutt now has the opportunity to continue leading the 10th District, without the burden of being labeled as the “appointed” councilwoman of the 10th District.
“For the past two years, Heather Hutt has served the residents of the 10th District with tremendous leadership, compassion, and a real concern for both the district and the city. She has earned the right to continue leading the 10th District as our councilwoman. I am proud of her, but more importantly I am proud of the job she has done,” said Leslie Neal-Younkins, a longtime resident of the 10th District.
Yoo had previously challenged Herb Wesson for the seat in 2015, and then Ridley-Thomas in 2020. While supporters hailed Hutt’s 2023 appointment, critics argued the council should have called a special election for CD10 voters to choose their representative. – Jose Herrera, City News Service and Sentinel staff
Bryan, McKinnor Reelected to Assembly, Elhawary Winning in 57th District
Assemblymembers Isaac Bryan and Tina McKinnor were easily re-elected to the California Assembly. Bryan, who won 79.4% of the vote, represents the 55th District, which consists of Baldwin Hills, the Crenshaw District, Culver City, Ladera Heights, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms, Pico-Robertson, Beverly Grove, Mid-Wilshire, and large parts of South Los Angeles.
Representing the 61st District, McKinnor, received 75.15% of the vote. Her district encompasses Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lenox, Los Angeles, Marina del Rey, Venice, West Athens, Westchester and Westmont in Los Angeles County.
At press time, Sade Elhawary was the leading the race to represent the 57th District in the State Assembly with 58.65% of the vote. Her opponent, Efren Martinez, garnered 41.35% percent. The district includes the communities of Exposition Park, South Los Angeles, and downtown Los Angeles, including Skid Row. – Staff Report
Hendy-Newbill Triumphs in Race for LAUSD District 1
In the battle for McKenna’s District 1 seat — representing areas
including Palms, South Los Angeles, Baldwin Hills and Koreatown — longtime
Dorsey High School teacher Sherlett Hendy Newbill handily defeated community
organizer Kahllid Al-Alim in Tuesday’s election.
They both advanced to the runoff by topping a seven-candidate field in the March primary election, but neither received the 50% of the vote needed to claim the seat outright. However, Newbill had roughly 70.5% of the vote as of Wednesday morning.
Newbill touted her years of experience as a teacher, coach and parent. She called for increased counseling and mental health support for students, improved safety on school campuses and “supportive school environments.”
“As a board member, my heart and my door will always be open to working with you, whether you are a parent, teacher, administrator, or concerned community member,” she said on her campaign website. – City News Service
Kamlager-Dove, Waters Trounce Competition in Congressional Races
Incumbent Congresswomen Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Maxine Waters were re-elected to their districts by wide margins. Kamlager-Dove received 77.99% of the votes in the 37th District, which includes parts of Los Angeles, Culver City, Beverly Hills and Inglewood.
Waters received 73.40% from voters in the 43rd District, which covers represents parts of Los Angeles including the communities of Westchester and Playa Del Rey, the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County comprised of Lennox, West Athens, West Carson, Harbor Gateway, El Camino Village, and Watts. The 43rd District also includes the diverse cities of Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lomita and Torrance. – Staff Report
Chambers, Richardson in Tight Race for State Senate 35th District
Laura Richardson and Michelle Chambers running neck and neck in the race to represent the SD 35. The district is comprised of Carson, San Pedro, Compton, West Compton, Gardena, Harbor City, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lennox, West Carson, Watts, Willowbrook, and Wilmington.
As of Wednesday, Nov. 6, Richardson had 51.41% percent of the vote while Chambers received 48.59% of the vote. – Staff Report
Other Local Races
Two Sentinel-endorsed candidates in the South Bay emerged as winners including Inglewood Councilmember Dionne Faulk, who was re-elected by receiving 54.65% of the vote.
In the city of Compton, Satra Zurita won the office of City Clerk with 55.14% of the vote and Councilwoman Lillie Darden was re-elected with 56.72% of the vote. Also, Barbara Calhoun was leading with 44.30% of the vote in the race for Trustee Area No. 2 of the Compton Community College District.
In addition, Nichelle Henderson received 67.58% of the vote in the race for Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees, Seat 5. – Staff Report
Visit results.lavote.gov for up-to-date news on the Nov. 5 elections.
